METHVEN DRAINAGE PLAN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 7

METHVEN DRAINAGE PLAN

NO APPLICATION FOR LOAN RECEIVED

The Ashburton County Council met yesterday, when there were present Mess-s F. Frampton (chairman), H. C B. Wifh-11. J L-mbie. W. G. Galla«h r. J. MDore. D. J. Morrow. H. J. Crolhers. J. Carr, S P. Taylor, C. A. Campion, J. Bland.

The Valuation Department, Christchu ch. rdvis-d that under instructions from the Valuer-General, the valuations of land in the Ashburton County were being revised The field work was in hand, and it was hop'd to have it completed for local rating and land tax purposes on March 31, 1938. Mr H. E. Herring, MP., forwarded a copy he had received from the Post-master-General (th° Hon. F. Jones). cmlUmvift p-oposals for substantial additions to the Ashburton Post Office to eliminate the overcrowding complained of by the Ashburton County Council. Th? Ashburton Hospital Board advised that the council's contribution to the hospital this year had been assessed at £10.035 2s 2d. The levy renresented a rate of 221 d in the £. In reply to Mr Campion, who inquired if any scheme had been observed in the subdivision of land tor the erection of dwellings at Allenton, the clerk (Mr G. Kelly) said that a town-planning scheme was under way and certain in'onrWion was being awpited from the Surveyor-General. The need for a women's pubic rst room at Methven was mentioned in n letter from the Methven Women's Tnstitu'e which said that the Plum-o* S-"i*ty had offered on" of its rooms which wnu'd reouire furnishing. The annual cost of caretaking and cleaning was estimated at £SO. and the council was asked for an annual >;rant. It was proposed to open thp room on Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Fridays. It was decided to contribute £25 from the club's general fund, and £ls from the Mount Hutt riding account for this year. Work For Unemployed

The chairman reported that the Government had offered to find full wages for 60 men on relief for four mon+hp if local bodies could find employment at a class of work which would be of value to the community The local bodies must provide transport, supervision, tools, and any machinery. The most suitable work at would be cleaning the Ashburton river-bed and the construction of s'ot binks to prevent the overflow of flood water. It would be necessary *o begin work on ra's ; ng the stop banks along River road first. The council's cost for four months' work wou'd* be about £BOO. for which no provision had been made on the estimates. He doubted if it would be wise to begin work on the Ashburton river before the report on the survey of the river by the Public Works Department was received. He suggested that they should agree with the scheme in the meantime, and keep the matter in view.

Mr S. P. Taylor moved that they obtain a report on the island in the river at Wakanui, where the willows had been cut down He said that the woi& was a success there, and it should also be successful elsewhere. This was carried. It was also resolved to ask the Acting-Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) to visit Ashburton about the scheme. No applications having been received for debentures for the Metnven unuerground drainage loan ol about £BIOO, it was decided to obtain perm.ssion from the Local Government Loans Board to call new applications for ueben u. es tor a pariod of 10 years instead of 35 years. It was said that no money was available at 3| per cenl mts-resi tor long terms. Six tenders were received for the work at prices ranging from £BO/1 5s lOd to £12,531 10s 6d, the final accentance being left to the works committee.